light cords

[spider236]

i have 16 gauge, 6 foot long cords to connect to the express output channels. im looking for advice on how long to make them. should i leave them 6', which allows some flexibility but more clutter, or should i shorten them up? just looking for others experience with them.

[Randy_A]

Not to sound smart, but I try to make them as long or short as I need them, I designate each controller to what it is going to control, and then make the cords for that lenght.

Hope this helps...

Randy

[tbone321]

The problem with keeping the cords long is storing the units after the season can become difficult and if you have many of them, it can turn into a tangled mess.  I like to keep the cords short and use extension cords to connect the devices that it controls.  6 foot isn't all that bad and shouldn't give you too much trouble.

[trekster]

I made 8 controllers.  Made  half 2 foot cords and the other half 6 foot cords.  The 6 foot work great in the middle of my mega trees because the cords are long enough to reach the lights on the tree without having to add 16 short extension cords.  Some places longer cords come in handy and when the thing you are plugging in is 25 feet away or more the cord length on the controller does not matter if it is 2 feet or 6 feet.  You will have to add an extension cord!

Ron

[jnealand]

I use 6ft cords as well.  I mark them with a permanent bright marker so I know what channel they are.  Sometimes they are too long and sometimes they are too short..  No biggie.  Even with a 2ft cord and using an extension cord you will find that some need 6ft extensions and some need 15ft extensions.  Some extension cords will be to long and some to short.  Since I can not guarantee that I will use the same controller with exactly the same lights every year I don't worry about it.  The first year I had multicolor lights on the windows and the next year I went to 3 different one color strings.  The controller stayed in place, but was used with different strings and needed different lengths.  There are more important things to spend time on like what am I going to do for next year.  LOL

[PJNMCT]

i have 16 gauge, 6 foot long cords to connect to the express output channels. im looking for advice on how long to make them. should i leave them 6', which allows some flexibility but more clutter, or should i shorten them up? just looking for others experience with them.

I cut the 6 footers in half, use the females for the controllers and the males for other projects - they came in handy when I turned the snowflake strings into controllable strings from the LE.

One key is to then use SPT wiring and vampire plugs to make extension cords to any length you want at a reasonable cost.

-Paul

[spider236]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. 

[lineman]

I use 2 footers and then SPT 1 wire for extensions , this I believe will make storing a little easier

[rogerwh]

I use the 6 footers but use velcro straps to keep them in groups of 4 and to make storage easier.